Drink in the Open Air

Fifteen sublime outdoor spots.

BÄR-BÕ-NÉ RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR186 Ave. B, nr. 12th St.; 212-254-6047Outdoor hours: Mon.–Sat. 6–11:30 p.m., Sun. 5:30–10:30 p.m.
This wine bar’s small, hidden garden is a Lower East Side anomaly with its anti-grunge ambience and clientele. Wine enthusiasts will appreciate the creative list with ten wines served by the quartino for $10 to $12. Even during peak evening hours, it’s possible to secure a wicker chair, kick back, and smell the ferns and the puttanesca sauce wafting from the kitchen.

TROUT98˝ Pacific St., nr. Smith St., Boerum Hill, Brooklyn; 718-935-1294Outdoor hours: Mon.–Thurs. 4 p.m.–midnight, Fri. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 3 p.m.–midnight
The redneck-chic fish-camp aesthetic of this outdoor-only bar attracts Brooklynites who don’t mind the Raconteurs cranked on high, cocktails served in plastic cups, or picnic-table seating. Drink specials ($6) are determined by a wheel of fortune spun every hour. Plan your visit around the two peak periods—one at 7:30, and another at eleven (after the restaurants on Smith Street close). But you can often fit in a few friends as long as you don’t mind sitting with strangers.

ZUM SCHNEIDER RESTAURANT & BIERGARTEN 107 Ave. C, at 7th St.; 212-598-1098 Outdoor hours: Nightly 5–11 p.m., Fri. opens at 4 p.m., Sat.–Sun. opens at 1 p.m.
Although the “biergarten” is actually situated on a sunny Alphabet City sidewalk, German drinking spirit translates to the cramped, cacophonous outdoor tables. Purists approve of the humongous one-liter-size beer mugs ($10 to $14) and pork-heavy menu. Reservations are not accepted for parties smaller than ten (and not at all on weekend nights), making for substantial waits during dinnertime as the crowd lazes away the evening drinking and eating.

HABANA OUTPOST757 Fulton St., at S. Portland Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn; 718-858-9500 Outdoor hours: Daily noon to midnight, closed Tuesday
Here, $2.50 pints of locally brewed Six Point beer wash down Cuban sandwiches ($7.25) and sweet plantains ($3). The no-frills concrete drinking lot is powered by an array of solar panels, and the smoothie blender gets its energy from a stationary bike. All this draws a fun, kid-friendly crowd at lunch and dinner. The Saturday-afternoon flea market and Sunday-night movie screenings ensure there is no downtime.

THE DELANCEY168 Delancey St., nr. Clinton St.; 212-254-9920 Outdoor hours: 5 p.m.–4 a.m.
The roof deck of this Lower East Side club follows a jungle theme, with dramatic spotlights accenting bamboo stalks and palm trees. Bartenders dispense bottled beer and mixed drinks in plastic cups—it’s up to you to source a table and chairs, which are scarce on weekend nights, despite the $10 cover charge and reservation policy. The good-looking crowd of singles dances when the music pumps, though they rarely notice the up-close view of the Williamsburg Bridge.

MAGGIE BROWN455 Myrtle Ave., nr. Washington Ave. Clinton Hill, Brooklyn; 718-643-7001 Outdoor hours: Sun.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight.
This restaurant’s adorable garden is like a North Carolina grandmother’s backyard: There’s comfort food on the menu and toddlers running about (as the swarm of strollers out front suggests). If you get there between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. you can catch the two-for-one draft-beer and house-wine special. The tasty summer mixed drinks, including margaritas and spiked frozen lemonades, range from $4 to $9.

HOPE LOUNGE10 Hope St., nr. Roebling St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-218-7191Outdoor hours: Mon.–Fri. 3 p.m.–4 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Bypass the Pottery Barn style of Hope Lounge for its large concrete outdoor space that’s appointed with cushioned chairs and umbrella tables and is rarely oversubscribed. The bar has eight drafts on tap and cocktails so fruity they may actually be nutritious. Berries, apples, oranges, and grapes garnish the $7 pint of fresh sangria, while cocktails like the cherry margarita, and frozen piña colada (both $10) are equally fruit-forward. The bar occasionally rents the patio, so call in advance to make sure it’s open.

Water Taxi Beach's sandy bar.

(Photo: Joe DeLessio)

WATER TAXI BEACHHunters Point, Long Island City, entrance on Borden Ave. at 2nd St.; no phone Outdoor hours: Officially Wed.–Fri. 4 p.m.–midnight, Sat. noon–midnight, Sun. 1 p.m.–midnight
Four hundred tons of trucked-in sand, spectacular views of midtown, and swimsuit-clad boys and girls—these are the rewards for finding your way to the Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. A rotating cast of D.J.’s and frozen cocktails ($7.50) simulate a Cancún vacation—sans swimming, which is forbidden. At night, the beach often gets packed, resulting in buzz-negating lines at the bar and portable toilets.